Ampoule holding rack



Dec. 5, 1950 T, cARSKl 2,532,604

AMPOULE HOLDING RACK Filed June 18, 1947 Patented Dec. 5, 1950 AMPOULE HOLDING RACK Theodore J. Carski, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Baltimore Biological Laboratory, Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application June 18, 1947, Serial No. 755,329

3 Claims. (01. 211-74) This invention relates to a rack for ampoules and similar containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive rack for supporting a plurality of ampoules, or similar containers havin a neck relatively smaller in diameter than the body thereof, while various operations are per formed such as washing, sterilizing, filling, sealing, etc.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an inverted side elevation of a rack containing a, few ampoules of various sizes and shapes, the rack being in the locked position,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a rack in the loading and unloading position with one of the ampoules being in place in the rack,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a rack in the loading and unloading position,

Fig. 4 is a'perspective of a locked rack in the upright position for filling or sealing the ampoules, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line of 55 of Fig. 4.

As appears in the drawings, the rack consists of two relatively movable parts which may be made of any suitable material such as plastic, water-resistant paper board, wood, or preferably a light metal or alloy and by any suitable method of fabrication, for instance by simply bending and shaping sheet metal. A channel 5 is rotatably mounted on a U-shaped frame orsupport member 6 by pivot pins 1 and is locked in inverted position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 by friction lock 8. The middle portion or web 9 of the channel 5 is provided with a plurality of openings or holes H] which are illustrated as being circular but may be of any other suitable shape for receiving the smaller or neck portions of the containers.

The spacing of the holes It] will depend upontheir size and the size of the bodies of the containers, the only requirement being that they shall be sufliciently large to receive the necks of the containers, sufliciently small to prevent passage of the bodies of the containers and sufficiently spaced to permit the containers to rest side by side in the rack.

The ends of the channel are closed by tabs l4 which may be merely bent over extensions of the portion of the channel. The tabs l4 serve for attaching the channel 5 to the support member 6 by means of the pivot pins 1. X

, Side portions 20 of the channel 5 may be of any suitable width and serve not only to strengthen or stiffen the channel but also to provide lateral support for the containers, i. e. to support the containers in alinement. The same effect might be had by other means. Instead of a channel, a bar of rectangular or square transverse section would accomplish the same purpose if provided with properly proportioned holes.

The side portions also may be plane but preferably are corrugated as illustrated to provide inwardly projecting ridges l9 between the holes to support the containers longitudinally and ver-' tically of the channel and parallel to each other.

The support member 6 is constructed of sheet metal strip or other suitable material of light weight, such as was recommended above for constructionlof the channel member. The base portion l5 of the support member is made flat and of sufiicient width to provide a steady base when the holder is placed on a plane surface for the operation of filling and sealing the ampoules, etc. Along one edge of the base portion I5 is disposed a side flange IS, the ends of which side are adjacent the upright end portions ll. The flange I6 is preferably formed by merely bending up an extended edge of the base of the support. The flange [6 may be dispensed with if all containers to be carried by the rack are of a sumcient size to be positively retained in the rack by means of a close fit between the sides 20 of the channel. However, it is preferable to incorporate a flange in the construction of the rack, since it will serve to steady and retain any containers which are so small as to have a large amount of play or clearance in between the sides 20 of the channel member. The uprights I! of the support member are constructed of sufficient length so that they will extend up past the level of the tip of the longest of the ampoules l2. These uprights then serve to a certain degree to protect the necks of ampoules from being inadvertently struck as the rack is moved about. In addition, the top edges l8 of the uprights are cut to lie in the same horizontal plane and are thus suitable as legs upon which the holder may be placed if it be desired to support the ampoules in an inverted position for drainage, etc., as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When an empty rack is to be loaded with ampoules, the channel 5 is rotated on its longitudinal axis until the open side of the channel is uppermost and the web of the channel containing the holes is at the bottom. In this position, the channel is upside down with respect to its normal inverted position. The ampoules are then placed neck-down in the holes by directing the neck of each ampoule downwardly through a hole until the shoulder of the ampoule rests against the periphery of the hole in which it is placed. Due to the presence of the side walls of the channel and the corrugation or crimp in the sidewalls, each ampoule will rest safely in this position until all ampoules have been placed in the rack.

To lock the arnpoules in place, it is only necessary to grasp the channel. and rotate the support member with respect to the channel until the base portion of the support member is directly over the bottoms of the ampoules. It is obvious that the channel member cannot be-rotateda in. order to arrive at the locked position, since the ampoules are free to fall from the channer until" such time as the rack has been placed in the normal locking position, e. g. the base portion of the support member is in. position. adjacentthe bottoms of the ampoules.

Since the flange I6 will not clear the-bottom of the ampoules when the support member as illustrated-1 in Fig; 3 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to arrive at the locked posi tion; it: is necessary: that. the support: as viewed in 3 always-be rotated in a. clockwisedirection to arrive at thealockedtposition; and in a. counterclockwise direction to unlock the. rack for freeing? and. removing the; ampoules..

G'n'cei a: filled rack of the: proper size with respect to ampoules to be supported has been set. in the locked. position, there: is no possibility of the ampoules falling: out, and; the. rack may be held. at any" angi'e or. moved. about. violently without fear of" losing, any ofi the: ampoules.

- When itZiS desiredzto remove the: ampoules,v the; rack: is inverted in order thattheaampou'les will notv drop out when. the device is: unlocked. The support member? is then; rotated; until there is sufiicient clearance for removal. of the ampoules,. and the. ampoules: areremoved by: drawing them: up through the. retaining 1 holes: until: each ampoul'e; neck is clear: of the channeL.

Ampouleholding racks" of my constructiorrmay' be made: in: various sizes and shapes to accommodate: arnpioulesof. different sizes and; shapes. That istosay, it is within keeping: with my invention. to vary' (a') thehorizontal: position. on theuprightsat which the pivotv pins and. thus the channeli ismounted, (b) the dimensions of the" support. the size of the channel; (d) the diameter and shape of theiholes'v in the-web,- (e) the nature and extent Of? the corrugations or ridgeson the side portions of the channel, and thedistance between adjacentholes. However,.it is tobe noted that: any particular rack constructedaccording to myinventionis adapted to: receive containers varying. within a limited size-range. Any given container willbe safely supported and retained by a given rack so long asthe following: conditions generally are. met: (1:) the container neck will pass through a hole inithe web; (2) the shoulder of the: container at. some point has-a diameter greater. than the diam-- eter of: the hole, (-3) the-diameter ofthe upper portion of thebody of the container'islessthan: the clearance between. the; oppositely disposed sides of the channel, and (4) the distancebetween-the base of thecontainer and the point at. which. its shoulder contacts the. peri hery of the-hole is no greater than the distance between theupper surface of the base. portion of the supportmember andthe bottom. surface of the. web ofwthe channel.

It..will beobservedthat it is unnecessary for the. shoulder. of an ampoule.v to remain in contact with. the periphery. of f therhole. As 'long as either the neck of the ampoule passes through the hole a sufiicient distance while the base of the ampoule is resting on the base portion of the support member, or there is sufficiently limited play of the ampoule between the side portions of the channel while the bottom of the ampoule is resting on the base portion of the support member, then there is no danger of having the ampoule falllf rom a rack whichiina-thelockfed position.

also, it may be said that any number of ampoules equal to or less than the capacity of the rack normally can be safely carried in the rack.

That. is to: say, if only one ampoule has been placed in a rack, that ampoule will be secure in its position while the rack is locked particularly if the rack corrugated channel sides, it being only necessary that the ampoule be of proper sizeiorithe: particular rack.

The rack comprising my invention is adapted for" useand association with other equipment employed in the handling and packaging of bin ogioals. For instance my? rank is? admirably suited for presenting a plurality' of ampoules to the ampoule sealing. devicedis'closedc in copending, U. S: design'application' of. J ohn' H' Brewer,v Serial: No; D1353736 file'd December-24,. 1946, now Patent-No. Des. 153584;. Also, I- r'nay" conveniently fillt'a number" of. ampoules by employing: b'O- X lots of: ampoule holding? racks fille'ds with ampoules in conjunction with the filler track disclosed in U. S;-'patent application of JohniI h Brewer, Serial No; 7335100 fileda'Marchi' 10; 1947..

'Bhus it willibe appreciatedi'byxthose familiar with the problems encountered in. the-fhan'dlingand. packaging of biologicalsin' smailalo'ts;v that thesam-poule holdingiraclsofsrthe present inventionzis a' device which: thoughueasily' and: inex pensively constructed; is extremely useful: as a means:for: safely and. rapidly handling andxco'nveying a plurality ofi'iampoule'sa through the steps of washing sterilizing, filling sealinga, storing,

and longitudinally.coextensive: with said base portion} an upright portion adj'acerit each en'd of saidfbase portion, said chan'nel m'ember having each of it'sj ends associated with one of said upright 1 portions by means of a pivot pin whereby said channel member is rotatable about an axis-parallel to its central longitudinal axis; at-

least one upright portion being provided" with locking means adapted by cooperation with an adjacent end'portion of'sai'd channel member to hinder ro-mtion of said channel member, the

middle por-tion' of said channel member being" provided along its central l'on'g'itud'inal axis with" a plurality ofop'eni'ngs and"- the-side portions of said channel member being provided with cor rug-ations -providinga plurality of parallel ridges extending perpendicular to the long axis of the channeladapted tohold ampoules" in alignment.

2'. A rack for a' pluralitypfampoul'es orth'e' thereof, said uprights supporting said channel at its ends by means whereby said channel is rotatable on a longitudinal axis, the web of said channel being provided along its length with a plurality of substantially aligned openings on centers spaced by distances at least as large as and approximating the diameters of said ampoule bodies, said openings having effective diameters of an order which will pass the necks of said ampoules without passing the bodies thereof, the sides of said channel being spaced apart substantially the width of said ampoule bodies and adapted to receive said bodies therebetween, and said base being substantially parallel to and spaced apart from said web by a distance substantially equal to the body length of said ampoules, whereby with the rack inverted and the support rotated until the base is offset from a position overlying the channel, the ampoules may be inserted downwardly and neck foremost into the openings to be held with a minimum of play with substantial portions of their bodies between the sides of the channel and whereby the ampoules subsequently may be made secure against dislodgement by rotation of the support REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,172,856 Williams Feb. 22, 1916 1,173,388 Rosenberg Feb. 29, 1916 2,189,989 Lichtman Feb. 13, 1940 

